Rape Turns A Global Epidemic: Laws Outdated and Inadequate To Curb The Crime

Rape is one of the most abominable crimes that take place all over the world. Unfortunately, most of these sexual predators are let off the hook because of the outdated and inadequate laws, says a recent study.

According to The Guardian, in many countries all over the world, rape is still considered a "moral crime" rather than a capital one. Those who are accused of rape can escape punishment by either marrying the victims or coming to a legal settlement with them. In countries like Greece, Russia, Thailand and Serbia, the sexual predators don't face any trial if the victim is "deemed too young to consent" to sex.

World Health Organization states that almost 35% of women globally experience "physical or sexual violence". It also says that one in 10 girls, out of 120 million children worldwide, has been victim to "forced intercourse or forced sexual acts" sometimes in their lives. What is more shocking is that out of 82 jurisdictions in 73 UN member states, 10 deem the rape of a woman or girl by her husband as "legal", the study claims.

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According to Reuters, rape is more of a social disease which leads to the victims failing to understand their true potential and drastically affects the respective community and broader economy. Besides, the social stigma surrounding the incident makes the victim's family afraid of lodging complaints or pushing the case against the rapists. At times, the raped woman or girl is compelled to commit suicide due to the pain and horror of the incident and the law not being able enough to give her justice.

The study concludes that in most countries, the law fails to recognize rape as a burning crime and thus the victim is allowed to roam freely. Sometimes, the cases are also bargained away outside the law. In modern times rape has become more like a ignored global epidemic. Though recently countries like Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq have been introspecting their existing laws related to rape and sexual crimes, severe punishment for the rapists and empathy towards the rape victims is required in the societal systems.